


this isn't as easy as neko atsume made it look

by blessings



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Veterinarians, First Meetings, Humor, M/M, a single meme reference, nekoma gen, veterinarian!reon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-20 12:58:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14261490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blessings/pseuds/blessings
Summary: “This is what you get for naming her after Yaku,” Kuroo says, unhelpfully.“You thought it was funny too!” Nobuyuki hisses furiously, then checks over his shoulder.When Kai Nobuyuki’s cat starts acting more like a demon from hell than a cherished pet, he calls Kuroo for some advice. To everyone’s surprise, it turns out well.





	this isn't as easy as neko atsume made it look

**Author's Note:**

> HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAI, here's ur nekoma character cat owner fic

“I've tried bargaining. I've tried reasoning. I even offered to move to the couch and give her the big bedroom. I just don't know what to do anymore.”

Kai Nobuyuki aggressively whisks several eggs in a bowl, keeping his phone pressed between his ear and shoulder as he whispers into it. If he doesn't keep his voice low, he'll wake _her_ up. “Yesterday I came home and found a bag of chips completely empty. I hid it on the top shelf!”

Kuroo, the acquaintance formerly known as his best friend prior to this disastrous phone call, laughs horribly into his ear. Nobuyuki leans away on instinct and almost drops his phone into the frying pan. 

“This is what you get for naming her after Yaku,” Kuroo says, unhelpfully. 

“You thought it was funny too!” Nobuyuki hisses furiously, then checks over his shoulder. 

“It’s hilarious,” he replies, too cheerful for the situation. “But I understand your concern, so as your friend, I have to tell you that it's time to take her to the vet. This has nothing to do with how entertaining it will be to watch you try to put Mori into a carrier.”

Nobuyuki chews on his bottom lip as he flips his omelette. “But she's not showing any physical issues - it's more...behavioral? Emotional? Is there a cat therapist, is what I'm getting at.”

“I don't think so. There are cat whisperers, though,” Kuroo says thoughtfully. “I could call around, screen some of them for you-”

“I'll take her to the vet,” Nobuyuki says hurriedly. He doesn't trust Kuroo’s judgment on most things, especially when it involves situations where he’s giving out Nobuyuki’s address.

“What a good idea. Wish I thought of it myself-”

“Bye, Kuroo.” Nobuyuki hangs up, sliding into a seat at his kitchen counter and blowing on a bite of his breakfast to cool it down. Just as he begins to relax, the fork slips out of his hands upon hearing a telltale meow.

“Good morning?” he says nervously, looking down at his feet. His cat - although the more time he spends with Mori, the less sure of that fact he becomes - sits at the bottom of his chair, tail winding menacingly around the legs and brushing against his ankles. He resists the urge to recoil in fear.

“Your breakfast is over there,” he tries, pointing at the ceramic bowl he had painstakingly picked out for her after asking for Kenma, Fukunaga, and Shibayama’s approval. Kuroo gave his opinion too, but he elected to ignore it.

Mori doesn't spare it a glance, yellow eyes focused on Nobuyuki in a way that feels disappointed. 

“This is people food. This is a seat for a person,” he says sternly. She ignores him, jumping onto the counter with little warning and forcing Nobuyuki to yank his plate away. He realizes his mistake at the same time she does - his glass of orange juice is defenseless. 

His eyes dart nervously between Mori and the glass, and she _sees_.

“Please,” he says. Mori appraises him carefully, then reaches a paw out and knocks his glass to the floor.

Nobuyuki picks up his phone again and begins his search for a veterinarian. 

\---

“Kai Nobuyuki?”

Nobuyuki’s head jerks up at the call of his name. He picks up Mori’s carrier and makes his way out of the reception area.

She sits quietly, her stillness a contrast to the chaos that had ensued in the morning when Nobuyuki tried to get her into the carrier and to the vet. After everything was said and done, he was down two shirts and one pair of jeans. The only highlight of the day was that he had successfully hidden the time of his appointment from Kuroo, who genuinely wanted to watch Nobuyuki fight his cat.

“You and your cat can wait in the room at the end of the hall. Oohira-sensei will be right with you,” the receptionist says pleasantly. 

“Thanks,” Nobuyuki says. Mori meows in agreement and the receptionist waves at her carrier, giggling. “Don't let her get to you,” he warns, and the receptionist looks confused. 

He hefts Mori onto the examining table, daring to stick his fingers into the bars of the gate. A hiss sends him stumbling back into his seat, where glowing eyes glare at him from inside the carrier. 

“You brought this upon yourself,” Nobuyuki says. “What was I supposed to do? My _orange juice_ -”

“Kai and Mori?”

Nobuyuki snaps his jaw shut and rises to greet the vet. That's as far as he gets before he becomes delirious enough to be _grateful_ to _Kuroo_ , because in front of him stands the most beautiful man he has ever seen. Light blue scrubs accentuate dark skin and bring out the sparkle in golden-brown eyes, eyes that are warm and inviting and crinkle in confusion the longer he stares, _crap he has to say something_ -

“Curls,” he blurts out.

“Oh, is there something in my hair?” Oohira endearingly pats the top of his head, angling it down so Nobuyuki can check. “I was just with a very excitable parrot. I swear the feathers are going to be in my clothes for a year.” He looks up, only to see Nobuyuki still gaping at him. “Did I get it?”

“Yup, you’re good!” Nobuyuki squeaks. _Really, really good._

“Alright.” Oohira grins, pulling the stethoscope from around his neck and bringing it to his ears in a move so confident Nobuyuki has to sit back down. “Let’s get started then. Why did you bring Mori in today?”

Nobuyuki watches in awe as Oohira calmly removes Mori from her carrier, not an extended claw in sight.

“How did you do that?” he mumbles, realizing too late that he had responded to a question with another question. It was probably enough of an answer, judging by the grin Oohira tries to hide. 

“Behavioral issues?” Oohira guesses.

“Yeah. Knocking things over, tearing up furniture, plotting my demise. The usual.”

“Alright, let's see what's causing her to act up.” Oohira shines a light in Mori’s eyes and runs his hands down her fur, gentle enough that she looks more relaxed than she has in the past month. “So,” he continues, breaking the silence that had fallen as Nobuyuki’s brain shut down most of its primary functions. “Why the name Mori?”

“Because I thought it would piss my friend off,” Nobuyuki replies without thinking, then wrinkles his nose in disappointment at himself.

Oohira stifles a laugh. “Did it?”

“I think he was flattered,” Nobuyuki says, disgruntled. 

“Do they look similar?” Oohira leans back and tilts his head to fully appraise Mori.

Nobuyuki mirrors him, head falling to the left as he takes in Mori’s ginger fur, perpetual glare, smaller than average size...

“Huh. Can’t believe my best friend turned into a cat and I didn’t notice,” Nobuyuki mutters. Oohira turns quickly to the cabinet filled with glass jars and medicine bottles, shoulders shaking.

“How did you and Mori meet?” he asks, sorting through the rows of pills, Mori watching him warily. Noticing her apprehension, he quickly holds his hands up. “Don’t worry, no shots today.”

Nobuyuki grabs onto the armrests of his seat to steady himself. “She's a rescue. I volunteered at a shelter and she stuck her paw out to take a swipe at me. That’s how I knew.”

“Ah. Love at first sight,” Oohira says.

“Yeah, something like that.” Nobuyuki tries not to think too hard about how _soft_ he sounds, or the potential double meaning of his words at the rate he's going. “I like animals but I didn’t know I wanted a cat until I met her.”

He trails off as he notices Oohira watching him, his examination of Mori halted.

“Is everything okay?” He frowns, trying to see if Mori has any visible injuries.

“Wha- oh, no, everything’s fine! Just...peachy,” Oohira trails off, his cheeks looking redder than Nobuyuki originally thought they were. He shrugs and Oohira clears his throat.

“I’m gonna do a more formal test before you leave, but I can tell you with a fair amount of certainty what’s been affecting Mori’s behavior,” he says.

“Really? Is it bad?” Nobuyuki leans forward in his seat a little. Should he hold Mori’s paw while he delivers the news? Wait, she won’t understand what Oohira says, that seems unfair-

“She’s pregnant.”

“No she isn’t.”

Oohira stares at him.

“Oh no,” Nobuyuki says.

“It doesn’t look like there’s anything to worry about healthwise,” Oohira continues, lips twitching with a squashed smile. “But a couple of things are going to have to change at home - her food, for one. Where and when she sleeps, the items you leave lying around, that sort of stuff.”

“Kittens,” Nobuyuki says. Mori levels another disappointed look at him.

“Okay. I’ll just write it all down then,” Oohira says, taking out a pad of paper from his pocket. “And I have some brochures you can take with you.”

“I'm a dad?”

Oohira knocks over the stack of brochures he had put together, startling Nobuyuki out of his daze. He stands to help, but Oohira waves his hands at him.

“I can tell that you're in shock,” he says, fully grinning now. “I'll take care of it.”

Nobuyuki could see, theoretically, that Oohira’s smile is powerful enough to get a baby on an airplane to stop crying, but it didn't help him at all. Nobuyuki settles in his seat, having another out of body experience but for a different reason this time.

Oohira takes care of everything while Mori watches him move around the room, tail flicking lazily. Nobuyuki distantly thinks that she's taking this all very well.

“Mori, you wanna get back in?” Oohira asks, setting her carrier down in front of her. Nobuyuki tenses for a fight.

To his shock, Mori only hesitates for a moment before curling up in her carrier. 

“I had to wake up two hours early to get her to do that this morning,” Nobuyuki whispers, almost jealous. “Are you _magic?_ ”

Oohira chokes on a laugh. “I don’t know, I’ve just always gotten along with animals for as long as I can remember.”

“That counts,” Nobuyuki says definitively, hoisting up the carrier. Mori doesn’t even _hiss_ at him, what kind of witchcraft- “This is definitely magic.”

“If you say so,” Oohira says, leaning against the sink and watching Nobuyuki with a look of- _something_ , Nobuyuki can’t tell,in his eyes.

“Well,” he clears his throat. “I’ll, uh. I’ll just be going then.”

Oohira nods, still watching him. Nobuyuki puts his hand on the doorknob, moving slowly, trying to postpone the inevitable.

“Actually, wait- here,” Oohira says abruptly. Nobuyuki whirls around in a way that is painfully obvious, but he forgets to be embarrassed when he sees Oohira pulling out his cellphone. “You can have my phone number. In case of emergency. Or something.”

“Yeah,” Nobuyuki says faintly, taking his own phone out of his pocket. “Emergency. Or something.”

Numbers exchanged, Oohira holds the door for him. “Goodbye. For real, now.”

“Goodbye,” Nobuyuki says faintly, restraining himself from skipping through the office. “Thanks for everything.”

“Text me if you need anything!” Oohira calls down the hallway, already on his way to the next patient.

Nobuyuki can only nod, no longer sure if the day is real or a dream. He wanders into the reception area in a daze, phone clutched in one hand and Mori’s carrier in the other. 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you were pregnant,” he says. Mori meows in response.

“Oh, Kai!” Nobuyuki turns from the door to see the receptionist waving him down. “There’s some administrative stuff to get finalized before you leave.”

“Sure thing.” Nobuyuki approaches her desk, lifting Mori’s carrier on top with the gate facing the receptionist. She giggles and waves her fingers at Mori. Nobuyuki sighs in regret. Yet another innocent soul lost to those whiskers and big eyes.

The receptionist starts as she realizes Nobuyuki is waiting. “So, we can schedule your next appointment with Oohira-sensei now, or you can check your schedule and call later-”

“Now. Let’s schedule it right now.”

“O-okay.” The receptionist blinks, typing something into her computer.

Nobuyuki has a sudden vision of Oohira in scrubs, a different color this time. Do they make red scrubs? He’ll have to find out. 

“Actually,” Nobuyuki says. She glances up at him questioningly. “How many appointments can I plan ahead of time?”

\---

Kuroo picks up his phone on the fourth ring.

“You’ve called a lot this week for someone who claims to be consistently disgusted with me-”

“Mori’s pregnant,” Nobuyuki interrupts.

“Dude, congratulations. Hey, unrelated question - how many kittens do you think it would take to make a volleyball team?”

“Ten, if we wanted some on reserve,” Nobuyuki answers.

“Cool, cool. I’ll keep that in mind.” The sound of Kuroo’s restrained laughter is just as bad as his regular cackling, but Nobuyuki still joins in. “Oh, after they're born, we'll have to arrange a playdate with Mr. Fluffykins.”

Nobuyuki snorts unattractively, as he always does whenever Kuroo’s cat is brought up. “Still can't believe Kenma let you name him that.”

“I've _told_ you before, it was his idea! He said no one would ever believe me and that's why he did it, but _someday_ you'll see-”

“Yeah, sure,” Nobuyuki says goodnaturedly. It does sound like something Kenma would do, but who is he to ruin an excellent joke.

“So, is that why you’re calling me on my very deserved lunch break?” Kuroo asks. Nobuyuki elects to ignore his petulant tone.

“Not just that. I have a...hypothetical question,” he starts. He can’t believe he’s asking _Kuroo_ for help, but for some reason no one has been able to figure out, he’s been in a relationship the longest out of everyone on their old team. “If you met someone who was the embodiment of everything you love, what would be the first thing you text them?”

“My first text to Kenma was a chain text saying his grandma would fall down a well if he didn’t reply,” Kuroo answers immediately.

“You already knew each other at that point,” Nobuyuki says, disgruntled. “I just met this guy.”

Kuroo’s glee is audible through the phone speaker. “Who is he? What day did you meet him? Where did you meet him, and what time was it, and what were you wearing when you met-”

“He’s the vet! He’s Mori’s vet,” Nobuyuki interjects.

“ _Money_ ,” Kuroo whispers so faintly Nobuyuki is unsure if he was meant to hear it.

He sputters in shock. “What- no, that’s not- he’s so sweet, and his eyes are this shade of brown, they’re almost gold, and he loves animals, and Mori _didn’t hate him,_ and- what was I mad at you about? Why did I call you?” 

“The answer to both questions is that I give good advice. For example-” Kuroo says sagely. Nobuyuki inhales deeply and puts his phone down to get a glass of water. When he picks it up again, Kuroo is still talking. “-and that’s why I’m a better friend than Yaku.”

“Mmhmm. Yup,” Nobuyuki says, taking a sip.

“Were you listening?”

“Oh yeah, totally. So what do I do about the vet situation?”

“Are you sitting down? Okay, it’s devastatingly simple. Powerfully elegant-”

“Kuroo.”

“One word - _memes,_ ” Kuroo announces.

“I’m calling Yaku.”

“Wait, wait! Cat memes! Or cat videos! They’re relatable, everybody loves them! You have to start with what you have in common with him.”

Nobuyuki pauses in dialing Yaku’s number. “Huh. That’s the smartest thing you’ve said all day.”

“First of all, I literally summarized a decade-long study on the effects of overfishing in the Pacific Ocean on the chemical makeup of our drinking water in _five sentences_ to a bunch of lawyers just hours ago. Second, memes are _always_ the smart answer.”

“Oh.” Nobuyuki grins. He’s enjoying this conversation more than he thought he would. “I wasn’t talking about the memes. Just the one sentence you threw in at the end there.”

There’s a moment of silence on the other line. “You know what, I’ll take that.”

“Great, that works out,” Nobuyuki says. “I’ll probably check with Yaku or Kenma before I do anything, though.”

“Dude what the _hell-_ ”

“Bye, Kuroo!” Nobuyuki cheerfully hits the end call button and scrolls through his contacts to stop at Oohira’s name. His finger hovers over his number before he groans and throws his phone at the couch. Kuroo was actually onto something but so far, the only thing he knows they have in common are cats.

A reproachful meow has him whirling around in concern. His phone just missed Mori where she had quietly curled up at the base of the couch.

“I thought you were in the other room,” Nobuyuki says, hurrying to her side. “Are you okay? Did you sleep well? Can I get you anything? Why am I asking you questions, you can’t talk.”

Mori rises to her feet slowly, extending her paws in front of her and arching her back. She eyes the cushions of the couch determinedly, backing up and twitching forward as she plans the trajectory of her jump.

“Do you want me to help you?” There he goes again.

She ignores him and leaps, colliding with the cushions, her unfamiliar weight leaving her off-balance. Nobuyuki swiftly turns his laugh into a cough when she tilts her head at him, clearly daring him to say something.

“Here, let me,” he sighs fondly. He lifts her gently, letting her settle on his lap. They sit quietly for a moment, letting the city sounds outside his apartment walls filter in.

“What would you do in my situation?” he asks her forlornly. “How did you find love before I did?”

She doesn’t respond.

He wouldn’t be having issues deciding what to text Oohira if Mori hadn’t chosen the weekend immediately after her appointment to turn back from a demon to a cat. She’s been almost _affectionate_ lately, letting Nobuyuki pet her or hold her. She even slept in his bed for 20 minutes the other night. It’s a good thing he was lying down, he almost passed out from the shock.

His hand strokes her back lazily as the stirrings of an idea form in his mind. “Something we have in common,” he mutters to himself. Mori taps his hand with her paw for interrupting the silence.

Nobuyuki digs in the couch cushions for a bit before coming up with his phone, this time tapping decisively on Oohira’s name. He sends the text before he can back out.

_**to: dr. oohira** _  
**__** _hey doc, it’s kai nobuyuki, mori’s owner! she’s been acting weirder than usual - she hasn’t broken anything in a couple days and that’s never happened before. should i be worried?_

Nobuyuki slams his phone face down on the couch and resumes petting Mori. 

“It’s not a big deal, just a little text, what’s the worst that could happen,” he mumbles, leaning his head back and slowing his breathing. “I’m relaxed, I’m calm-”

His phone vibrates with a notification and he almost launches Mori across the room in his haste to pick it up.

_**from: dr. oohira** _  
**__** _hey kai, hope everything’s been going well. your description of mori is actually normal behavior for pregnant cats! it’s called nesting. they start to settle down as they prepare to give birth, so you have nothing to worry about._

_**to: dr. oohira** _  
**__** _thanks doc, that’s a relief_

Nobuyuki chews on his lip, trying to find a way to keep the conversation going. To his surprise, his phone buzzes in his hands again.

_**from: dr. oohira** _  
**__** _i would take advantage of the peace and quiet_

_**to: dr. oohira** _  
**__** _oh don’t worry, i am_  
_gonna buy so many fancy, breakable cups_

_**from: dr. oohira** _  
**__** _Haha_

Nobuyuki pumps his fist in the air, jostling Mori and earning a scratch on his leg that he barely notices.

 _ **from: dr. oohira**_  
**__**_[attached image]_  
_show this to mori when you have the time. i think she would like it_

Nobuyuki opens the image to find a picture of a cat looking disgusted at a banana.

“Oh no,” he whispers. “ _Oh no ohnononono.”_

Mori looks at him from the corner of her eye, refusing to expend the energy required to turn her head fully.

“He’s _amazing_ ,” Nobuyuki breathes.

Mori says nothing.

\---

Regular check-ups for Mori become part of Nobuyuki’s schedule, almost as constant as the texts he receives from Oohira during his breaks. Sometimes they're about work (particularly cute animals get extra attention from both of them) and sometimes they're about volleyball, which they both played in high school without ever running into each other in an example of the kind of bad karma that landed Kuroo and Yaku on the same team with him as the mediator. More recently they've been observations or questions for Nobuyuki to agonize over before eventually sending an impulse text as an answer and walking away from his phone for ten minutes. 

The check-ups become less awkward as Nobuyuki doesn't necessarily get _used_ to being around the most amazing person ever, but gets better at controlling his awe. And Oohira is really, really easy to talk to.

Which is why Nobuyuki strolls into the examination room with Mori and immediately picks up their conversation where it had left off over text. “Afternoon, Doc. So like I was saying earlier, I don’t think your friend - Shirabu, right? Yeah, I don't think he can kick his own landlord out of his apartment. But I'm not a lawyer, so who's to say if I'm right?”

He's met with a polite hum of acknowledgement and then silence - his first hint that something’s not right. He chews on his lip, wondering if they're close enough for him to ask if something happened. Or maybe Oohira will bring it up himself and Nobuyuki should wait...but if he knows Oohira is unhappy, would he be a bad friend for not acknowledging it?

Mind made up, he clears his throat awkwardly. “Is- is everything okay?”

Oohira jolts and turns to Nobuyuki with a forced smile on his face. “Ah- just a bad day, I guess.”

Nobuyuki waits patiently, sensing that he's not finished. 

“I had to- put a dog to sleep today,” Oohira says. Nobuyuki winces in sympathy. “She was old. Sick and in pain, you know? And they trained us to get used to it in school, told us it was the right thing to do and an important part of the job, but...I don’t _want_ to get used to it. It’s hard every time and I hate it but I wouldn't change anything about my job. I can't- I don't know, it makes more sense in my head.”

Nobuyuki understands completely. 

“Oohira?” he says quietly. “There’s nothing anyone can say to make that better.” Oohira frowns, brow creasing harshly as his hands stumble over Mori’s fur. “But you're right about not getting used to it - it will be hard every time because it won't ever be easy for the family. And to feel for them, _with_ them is the right thing to do. So if you ever need to talk, you have my number.”

Oohira is silent for a moment, and then- “Thanks, Kai. That means a lot.”

“Of course,” Nobuyuki says, feeling his cheeks warm up and getting kinda annoyed at himself over it. _Every_ time Mori has a check-up...

“Sorry for bringing the mood down like that!” Oohira laughs, sounding a bit more like his old self. Nobuyuki could live in happiness for the rest of his life knowing he was able to do that. “I just realized - we never really talk about your job.”

“Oh! I'm a social worker,” Nobuyuki says. “I work with a lot of kids. And lots of mysteriously sticky toys.”

Oohira turns away from Mori, completely taken by the conversation. “So you see some bad days too.”

It's a part of his job that he knew he would have to deal with, but no amount of prior knowledge could prepare someone for some of the stories Nobuyuki has heard. His fist clenches around the armrests of his chair, Oohira’s words bringing the worst of his memories to the surface unbidden. 

“Yeah,” Nobuyuki sighs. “Yeah, I do.”

“I don't mean to pry,” Oohira says hurriedly. “But- I guess, I want you to know that I think it takes an incredibly strong, incredibly _good_ person to do that job well.”

“I try,” Nobuyuki says quietly. His eyes narrow in concentration - he’s not sure why, but he feels that he needs to get this next part absolutely right. “And the bad days - the way I see it, they happen because there's nowhere to go but up afterwards. Or at least, it's my job to make sure that the people I work with only have that _one_ bad day, you know? I want to be someone they can count on when no one else is there for them.”

Oohira is watching him with wide eyes, Mori relaxing on the examination table and almost forgotten in the midst of Nobuyuki’s speech. He hopes that means he did good.

“And, hey,” Nobuyuki says. “The same goes for you.” 

“Which part?” Oohira asks slowly, still slightly dazed. Nobuyuki really should have been giving the inspiring speeches instead of Kuroo. 

“Being incredibly strong and incredibly good,” Nobuyuki answers. It sounds less cool when he says it. Damn. “A good vet is a superhero. To me.”

“Yeah?” Oohira smirks suddenly and Nobuyuki quickly reorders his List of Good Oohira Expressions. “So I'm magic and a superhero. You flatter me.”

“Just being honest,” Nobuyuki says.

“I know,” Oohira replies. “I like that about you.”

Nobuyuki doesn't really remember what happened during the rest of the examination. He might have fainted.

\---

So, Nobuyuki understood in _theory_ that Mori was going to give birth at some point. But when it actually happens, he’s both asleep and completely unprepared (despite Oohira’s best attempts at bringing him up to speed on the miracle of life and the various processes involved). 

Something wakes him up, an itch in the back of his mind strong enough to interrupt his dream (or nightmare, Nobuyuki doesn't remember much aside from Kuroo’s presence and that's usually a bad sign). He stumbles out of bed and wanders into the living room, rubbing his eyes blearily, blinking at his two cats, and deciding there wasn't actually anything wrong. Stupid Kuroo nightmare. 

He's about to head back to sleep when he remembers he only has one cat, not two, and also there's three now, so that's a thing.

“Oh my god,” he says, running to the kitchen for some reason and then back to the couch where Mori had set up for the big event. “Oh my god it’s happening, everyone stay calm. I can do this. We can do this, you just need to push. And breathe. We should both breathe.”

Nobuyuki lasts five minutes before he fully panics and calls for help.

“Hello?” Oohira’s voice is rough with sleep. Nobuyuki ignores the twinge in his heart.

“I'm sorry, I’m so sorry, I know it's late, but there are _things coming out of my cat right now_ ,” Nobuyuki rambles. “They’re so small and wrinkly, they look like naked mole rats-”

“Kai-”

“Is this supposed to happen? Are they even kittens-”

“Kai, slow down-”

“One of them is looking at me. I think it wants me to hold it-”

“Nobuyuki!” Oohira’s voice rings through his phone speaker, interrupting his panic.

Nobuyuki takes a deep, stuttering breath. 

“Kai,” Oohira says again. His voice is firm and calm, and Nobuyuki finds himself relaxing. “You can handle this on your own. But if you want me there, I’ll get in my car right now.”

Nobuyuki barely hesitates. “Yeah, I need- I want you here.”

“Okay,” Oohira says, voice softer through the speaker of his phone. “I’m on my way.”

It doesn't take Oohira that long to get to his apartment but crouching on the floor and watching Mori carefully for signs of distress makes everything feel a little more dramatic than usual, enough for Nobuyuki to sprint to the door and yank it open before Oohira is done knocking. They pause in the doorway for a moment, just looking at each other. It's weird, seeing him out of the office in sweats, standing outside his apartment under the crappy hallway light that keeps going out. Nobuyuki tells himself that the strangeness of it all is the only reason he freezes before remembering why they're here.

“Where is she?” Oohira asks in that “trust me, I'm a doctor” tone Kuroo uses when he thinks he's being smart. It sounds much more convincing in Oohira’s voice.

“Living room floor, on a bunch of blankets,” Nobuyuki hisses, keeping his voice low. He doesn't want to interrupt the eerie, almost magical mood cast by the last dregs of moonlight filtering through his curtains. Also, Mori is in the middle of something important.

Oohira makes his way quietly to the area behind the couch Mori had chosen as the best spot to bring forth the miracle of life. Yamamoto got in a fight with Kenma in that exact location a couple months back, tackling him over the back of the cushions, and Fukunaga threw several large bagels at them out of frustration while Yaku filmed and Kuroo cackled and no one did anything to help, so it's kinda perfect. 

“Everything looks good,” Oohira says reassuringly after a quick examination. “Mori’s tough. There's not too much to do except wait now.”

Nobuyuki barely resists the urge to collapse against his shoulder. “Oh thank god. They were just so small, I didn't think they would last.”

Oohira nods in understanding, like Nobuyuki said something completely reasonable, and he’s so grateful. It really is a waiting game after that, the pair of them peeking over the back of the couch every now and then to see the number of kittens increase each time.

Oohira judges Mori to be done after a while and goes back into doctor mode, which Nobuyuki is totally fine with just observing from afar, very appreciatively. 

“Congratulations,” Oohira says solemnly, finally setting aside the pile of blankets. The kittens have snuggled up to Mori and Nobuyuki is getting a little misty over the sight of them. “You're a father.”

“But I'm so young,” he says.

Oohira lets a relieved smile break the intensely focused look on his face for the first time since he had entered the apartment. For Nobuyuki, it's like getting a sneak peek at the sunrise. “What are you going to name them?”

“Probably just going to go at it like the Power Rangers,” Nobuyuki says tiredly. “That one's Blue. That one's Pink. I mean, they’re all the same color now, but eventually-”

Nobuyuki trails off, realizing at the same time Oohira does that there's little reason for him to stay.

So Nobuyuki makes one up. “Would you like some breakfast?” 

It would have been rude _not_ to offer, he tells himself, and mentally pumps his fist in the air when Oohira agrees. They move quietly to the kitchen, letting Mori and the kittens get some well-deserved rest and bonding time. Nobuyuki grabs two glasses and the carton of orange juice, feeling like he should be experiencing deja vu in this situation and left a little off-balance in its absence.

“O.J.?” Nobuyuki asks, sliding Oohira a glass in as cool a way as he can manage. 

Oohira nods gratefully. “I like your apartment, by the way. Didn’t get a chance to tell you earlier, what with the medical emergency.”

“Thanks,” Nobuyuki replies, pouring the orange juice as carefully as possible to avoid spilling it in his excitement. Oohira is _in his apartment_ , they’re spending _quality time together-_

“This wasn’t how I wanted my first visit to go, but it was definitely memorable,” Oohira says thoughtfully. Nobuyuki knocks over his orange juice.

“First...visit?” he stutters out.

Oohira grabs some paper towels to help with the spill Nobuyuki is ignoring, ducking his head down as he scrubs to hide his expression. Nobuyuki watches him in silence, hope fluttering in his chest.

“Oohira?” he asks tentatively.

“You’re the first person to walk into my office that I’ve given my personal phone number to,” Oohira finally says.

“Oh,” Nobuyuki says, simultaneously fighting back a grin and a blush and losing both battles. “Well, you’re the first person my cat hasn’t tried to murder.”

“I’m honored.”

Oohira finishes wiping up the spilled juice and Nobuyuki finishes pouring them both a glass. They take a sip at the same time, Oohira leaning against the counter to watch the beginnings of the sunrise and Nobuyuki glancing at him only a couple times a minute. 

“I like you too,” he says suddenly. “Not just because of the cat thing, although that helps.”

Oohira’s answering smile is enough to convince Nobuyuki that he has to tell him, every day, just how much he likes him.

“I do have to get going,” Oohira sighs regretfully. “But we should do this again sometime.”

“Of course,” Nobuyuki says, walking him to the door. “I'll check with Mori, see if her plans match up.”

Oohira snorts, hand lingering on the doorknob, and then they're frozen in the doorway just looking at each other again. Nobuyuki is more honest with himself about the reason why this time.

“See you around, doc,” he says. “Maybe in two days at 7 for dinner? Your choice.”

Oohira grins, the sun rising behind him illuminating gold flecks in his curls. “I’ll text you later.”

He turns to leave, Nobuyuki holding his door open to watch until Oohira gets to the top of the stairs where he looks back with a smile and a wave. Nobuyuki never stopped smiling at him but he raises his hand to return it.

He shuts the door gently, leaning against it and resisting the urge to completely slide to the floor. He sets his head against the wood and _laughs_ , the ridiculously early time of day and the events of the last couple hours hitting him all at once. 

One, then two, then multiple meows join in his laughter.

Nobuyuki’s eyes snap open. “Oh no.”

Multiple smaller, less hairy versions of Mori look back at him, snuggled up to their mom. Mori herself looks both vaguely disappointed and proud, so he guesses she’s back to normal.

Nobuyuki picks up his phone and hits call, ignoring the time. “Kuroo.”

“What the hell, Kai, I was in the middle of a great dream-”

“I have nine more cats than I originally planned for, and you have a history of coming up with really, _really_ good ideas. What should I do with them?”

Kuroo is silent, and then - “It's about damn time.”

**Author's Note:**

> tendou told reon to send a meme and he went for it
> 
> thanks for reading! hope my cat meme reference ages well
> 
> [kyouken.carrd.co](http://kyouken.carrd.co)


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